Easy Chickpea Tacos Recipe

These easy chickpea tacos come together in under 30 minutes with a simple homemade taco seasoning and a bright cilantro lime slaw. Easy enough for a weeknight, good enough that no one will miss the meat!

Somehow, a can of chickpeas became everyone’s favorite taco night.

• They’re so quick! These chickpea tacos are a simple, meatless meal that’s on the table in about 20 minutes, and the hands-on cook time is very minimal! This means while the chickpeas are sautéing, you can throw together my 5-minute cilantro lime slaw. This will add an amazing freshness, and you’ll have a flavorful, veggie-filled dinner ready in no time!
• It’s so simple! These easy chickpea tacos practically cook themselves. The only skills required are chopping and stirring, so this is a great recipe for newer home cooks! Delicious dinners don’t need to have tons of ingredients or be difficult to make. Sometimes the simplest of meals end up being the most delicious!

Here’s what you’ll need.

Here’s how it all comes together.

Dry chickpeas thoroughly on a clean kitchen towel. Heat oil in a large pan. Add chickpeas to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.

Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, along with a couple large pinches of salt and pepper, and the remaining olive oil. Toss to coat the chickpeas evenly.

Then cook for another minute or two until the chickpeas are crispy but not burned.

Serve with flour tortillas, cilantro lime slaw, sour cream, and Cotija.

Things I learned while making these tacos.

• Be sure to dry the chickpeas thoroughly before cooking. Any water left on the chickpeas will cause the hot oil to spit and splatter, which is no good! Be sure to dry them as much as possible before adding them to the oil.
• You can remove the skin from the chickpeas if you want, but it’s not necessary. Removing the skin will allow the chickpeas to get a bit more crispy, but removing them is a LOT of work and very tedious. And they’ll taste the same either way!
• Spice it up! If you like your chickpea tacos with a bit of kick, add a pinch of cayenne to the spice mixture to increase the heat.

Sunday prep, Wednesday hero.

• The chickpea filling reheats beautifully. Make a big batch on Sunday, and you’re eating in under 10 minutes any night of the week.
• The cilantro lime slaw actually gets better after a day in the fridge, just keep it separate until you’re ready to serve.
• Warm filling + cold slaw + tortillas = dinner is done.

Just in case you have leftovers.

• STORING: Keep leftover chickpea filling and slaw stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• REHEATING: Warm the chickpea filling in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes until warmed and crispy. Or microwave in 30-second intervals until heated through.

Here’s what I’d serve with these tacos.

• cilantro lime slaw
• 5-minute blender salsa
• easy 5-minute taco dip
• creamy street corn soup
• cheesy bean dip recipe

More taco dinners for your eating pleasure.